Wood Specification:
Terminology
Building Durability Plan (BDP):
provides a framework within
which durability targets are
set and establishes criteria
for durability performance
of a building.
Design service life:
the period of time during which
a product is expected by its
designers to work within
its specified parameters.
Commissioning:
accomplishes higher energy
efficiency, environmental health,
and occupant safety; improves
indoor air quality by making
sure the building components
are working correctly and the
plans are implemented with
the greatest efficiency using
standard protocols and peer
review processes.
Resources
Guideline on Durability in Buildings
CSA S478-95 (R2007) (available for
purchase from www.shopcsa.ca):
referenced by LEED, this guideline
provides a set of recommendations
to assist designers in creating durable
buildings.
Sample of a Building Durability Plan:
following CSA S478-95, available free
from www.morrisonhershfield.com/
newsroom/technicalpapers/Pages/
SampleBuildingDurabilityPlan.aspx.
ISO 15686-5:2008 Buildings and
constructed assets Service life
planning Part 5: Life-cycle costing
(www.iso.org/iso/catalogue_
detail?csnumber=39843): life-cycle
costing enables comparative cost
assessments to be made over a
specific time, by taking into account
initial capital costs and future
operational costs.
www.durable-wood.com:
a joint Canadian Wood Council/
FPInnovations, Forintek Division
website that provides current
information on the durability of
wood products in order to ensure
long service life of wood structures.
WoodWorks (www.woodworks.org/
Publications/informationSheets.
aspx): a primer on durability and
wood.
Green Building Rating System Guides
Durability
Durability is defined as the ability of a building or any of its components to perform the
required functions in a service environment over a period of time without unforeseen cost for
maintenance or repair.
Using durable materials, as well as appropriate building applications and design, minimizes
materials use. It also minimizes construction waste that would result from inappropriate material
selection or premature failure of the building and its constituent components and assemblies.
Using durable materials, while sometimes involving greater up-front costs, can result in
significant savings in terms of reduced-cost maintenance and repairs later in a buildings life.
Why a Durable High-performance Wood Building Envelope Adds Value
D
urable envelope design delivers the benefits of lower operation costs and a healthier building. Good design will
ensure that wood materials last and weather well in various climates and physical contexts. Strategies may include
minimizing contact of moisture with untreated wood, allowing for ventilation to both sides of untreated wood and
designing structures to shed water.
P lanning for maintenance, deconstruction, and adaptability can extend the life of building components and of the
building as a whole. Designing with wood allows for the use of easily demountable components and connections,
and for the use of fasteners that ease deconstruction, facilitate maintenance, and increase the potential future reuse
of building materials and components. In addition, the incorporation of easily accessible systems (such as removable
panels, etc.) reduces the need for extensive renovations or even replacement in the future.
In general, as durability performance increases, so do the environmental merits of the project as a whole. A durable
assembly can dramatically reduce energy consumption because the elements providing thermal performance are
protected and maintain their functionality over the life of the building. Utilizing energy modeling software that
incorporates building envelope performance criteria such as insulative value and air tightness will help designers
to better understand the impacts of material choicesparticularly the use of wood, in accomplishing an
energy-efficient, durable envelope.
Indoor air quality can also be improved by using durable materials that have zero or low emissions and that prevent
moisture accumulation and mould or mildew growth.
D
urable materials and components that follow carefully considered design details can potentially remain useful in the
materials cycle for longer periods of time, thus reducing the need for new materials and the environmental costs of
resource extraction, production processes, and waste disposal.
A
ssessing life cycle costs based on design service life of the structure and the building envelope can be helpful in
evaluating alternative design approaches for the building.
S ome green building rating systems encourage high-performance and durable envelope design, either explicitly
through the development of a Building Durability Plan, or indirectly by setting goals for energy efficiency, thermal
comfort, and indoor air quality (all of which are facilitated through the design of the building envelope).
W
ith proper design and construction, wood-frame buildings resist damage from moisture, insects and other
organisms, and provide decades of service equivalent to other building types.
W
ood structures are adaptable and allow for design flexibility to meet changing needs. When they have been
designed properly with local climate impacts in mind, wood buildings can last centuries. Further, when part of a
well-planned regular maintenance program, wood products will last well beyond their planned service life. When it is
time to refurbish, wood products can be re-used and recycled.
How to Include Durability Considerations in Design
D
evelop a Building Durability Plan at the
concept stage, and review the plan during
design for implementation during construction.
Components of particular relevance are major
structural elements (including foundations),
building cladding assemblies, roofing
assemblies, and those elements likely to have
significant impacts on the buildings operation
or performance (excluding mechanical and
electrical equipment).
Early on, optimize the design of all components
of the building envelope by using energy
simulation and life cycle assessment tools
to analyze overall envelope performance.
M
ake informed decisions about the
components of the building envelope
(i.e., based on life cycle performance).
To minimize premature deterioration of walls,
roofs, and floors, select design strategies that
are appropriate to the geographic region.
Reduce construction problems by specifying
realistic and achievable levels of workmanship
that are based on practical construction
methods and readily available technologies.
Follow a building envelope commissioning
process to ensure performance and durability
standards are correctly established at
the outset and followed through during
construction and operation.
Wood Specification: Durability
What to Ask Suppliers
It is important to get information about what the
expected service life of the building envelope
products will be in the context of the buildings
assembled condition.
E nsure that the scope and limitations of product
warranties are fully understood.
E nquire about care and maintenance solutions
for proposed materials and convey this information
to the building operator.
The Building Durability Plan
A Building Durability Plan (BDP) requires the design
professional (usually a building envelope consultant)
to agree to the following points:
T he building is designed and constructed with the
intent that the predicted service life will equal or
exceed the design service life.
W
here the service life of a component or assembly
design is shorter than that of the building, those
components or assemblies are designed and
constructed to be readily replaced.
T he service life is predicted by documenting
demonstrated effectiveness, by modeling of
the deterioration process, or by testing.
A
quality management program is developed
and documented.
Worlds Tallest Modern
Residential Building Constructed
of Timber
In the Borough of Hackney in London stands Stadthaus,
the worlds tallest modern timber structure (http://www.
waughthistleton.com). Stadthaus is a nine-storey highperformance residential building of which the top eight
are constructed from cross-laminated timber and designed
according to passive design principles. Pre-fabricated
timber panels comprise the load-bearing walls and floor
slabs as well as the stair and lift cores. Each panel is
made up of five layers of timber positioned at 90 degree
angles and glued over their entire surface, making a panel
that could be compared to precast concrete. To address
global concerns about carbon emissions, the design team
made use of pre-fabricated panels that provide several
advantages: improved thermal performance, a continuous
air barrier, ease and speed of construction, and waste
minimization.
Because wood products continue store carbon absorbed during the trees growing cycle, this modern
timber building will actually keep 205 tons (186 tonnes) of carbon out of the atmosphere for its entire
service lifes or longer if the materials are reclaimed and manufactured into other products. within its
structure over its lifetime.
CLT construction reduces wetting potential because prefabrication reduces construction time. CLT also
provides considerable insulation with an inherent R-value of about R-1.2/per inch resulting in R-4.2
for 3 thick panel. The solid panel also reduces convection in the assembly.
Quality assurance activities need to be carried out
to verify that the predicted service life is achieved.
T he building envelope construction is in general
conformance with the design details, and is
co-signed by the building science professional
and the general contractor.
Photo: Ben Rahn, A-Frame
T he BDP is endorsed,
implemented, and signed by the building owner.
Procedure
Step-by step approach to incorporating durability
considerations into the design
Pre-design: determine durability goals by establishing
performance targets for the design service life of the
structure and building envelope (50 years is standard).
Design: create a BDP; review the details with the design
team, owner, and builder; update the Plan at milestones
throughout the project.
Contract documentation: confirm that the BDP is
developed and signed by a building science professional,
and that it is endorsed, implemented, and signed by the
building owner.
Contract documentation: use a commissioning
procedure to confirm that the building envelope
construction is in general conformance with the design
details, and that is co-signed by the building science
professional and the general contractor.
Contract documentation: circulate copies of the
reports on the building envelope design review and the
building envelope field review, and of the BDP.
Fifth Town Artisan Cheese Company
This green project is located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County, Ontario.
The decision to use Durisol, a stay-in-place wall form made of waste wood and concrete, was made
because it is extremely resistant to mould and mildew and is strong and durable.
Engineered lumber and reclaimed barn beams were used for areas where the environmental concerns
were less demanding. Wood was used to reinforce the vernacular architecture, as well as to add
warmth to the building. The use of all three states of wood was advantageous in achieving green
certification the recycled content of the Durisol blocks, the third-party certified wood framing and
the local barn beams, all added to the projects environmental sustainability.
Building Envelope Commissioning
The building commissioning process should include commissioning of the envelope to ensure that all
performance goals are met.
Building envelope commissioning can identify areas of concern related to air infiltration and leakage,
moisture diffusion, surface condensation, and rain water entryall are issues that can negatively
impact the buildings energy performance, indoor environmental quality and service life.
It is important to begin envelope commissioning during the design phase, when modifications can be
easily incorporated. Waiting until construction to do remediation can cost significantly more.
Green Building Rating System Guides
2011 | Prepared by Light House Sustainable Building Centre for naturallywood.com
